Internship, Wedding, and Toughmudder coming up (plus reclaiming self-confidence)

[jang6132]

Hello!

 

I finally decided to join the community, hopefully it'll put me on the right track again.

 

I'm a 23 year old female, 5'4'' and 135lbs (I'd guess about 40 of that is fat though), looking to get fit, strong, and lean again. And... I guiltily admit that I've got some deadlines coming up - an internship starting May 12th (I'd like to be able to show up on day 1 with less of a lard tire about my midsection), bridesmaid duty on June 14th, and a Toughmudder (dun dun dun) on October 4th!

 

Some background: I've been struggling with my weight since I was 16 after moving to a school without a tennis and cross country team. It's a terrible excuse, of course, and I also ate like heart attacks were going out of style back then and suddenly without the morning CC and afternoon tennis practices... well, predictable how that turned out. My weight peaked at 150lbs around 3 years ago.

 

Lately, I've been trying to get back into shape again, and after an initial burst of progress, things have been tapering though I haven't quite hit a plateau. At this point, I can bench press 60lb, squat 90lb, deadlift 70lb, and overhead press 40lb and my weight (not the best gauge I realize, but still) has been stuck at 135lb.

 

I know that if I keep at it, I'll eventually 'get there' but... I've got some deadlines. Any advice?

 

Also, not just for the Toughmudder, but there are some LONG-TERM (because I know it might take some time) fitness goals I'd like to able to hit (because I enjoy lifting and - this is my vanity speaking - I want to be that BAMF lady at the gym). Also, I like specific numbers, so here goes:

 

1. 5 chin ups and pull ups (I'm still struggling through band-assisted pull ups at the moment.)

2. Bench press 90 lb

2b. 10 Clap/Plyometric Pushups

3. Squat 100 lb (I'm not sure I would want to go over this, I find that my knees and back are more fond of alternatives like goblet squats even though it will mean a lower weight.)

3b.. Be able to do 5 pistol squats (I'm working on a progression at the moment.)

4. Deadlift 100 lb

5. Overhead press 60 lb

6. Run a(nother) marathon (there was a brief period of time when I was in much better shape, and I found that I enjoyed long-distance running and got into doing marathons and half-marathons. I'm aware there are some who will frown on this goal and that it means a bit of a strength sacrifice) next April.

 

And... that's all folks. Any advice (and criticism, too) are welcome and uber-appreciated!

[thegingerdances]

Welcome to NF, jang!  It's great to have you.

 

135 llbs should be a pretty good weight for 5'4''--especially since you have quite a bit a muscle from lifting iron!  OO RAH!  

 

If you are struggling to shed some layers of fat, though, try revamping your diet.  Make sure you are eating enough (it seems like a contradiction, doesn't it?).  If you are eating too little, your body will pile on the fat stores to make sure you don't starve.  You might consider eating Paleo, too.  A lot of NerdFitness folks see success with this "diet" because it mandates clean eating--and plenty of it!

 

A useful article that NF just put out: How to Set a New Personal Record Every Day.  It might help you prevent a plateau!

 

Congratulations on making it to 135 lbs and for making awesome progress on the bar! 

[Guzzi]

I echo everything Thegingerdances just said. Especially the "OO RAH!"

Love the specific goals, and those are some pretty nice numbers you're lifting already. Kudos my friend, kudos.

[JulesPaxton]

Hey there!

 

I did a Tough Mudder last October - I was SO PROUD of myself.

 

135 isn't actually a bad weight for 5'4" females! What is your fat %? If your scale is stuck, your body composition may still be changing. The only way to really know is fat %.

 

Congratulations on going from 150 to 135. I am actually struggling to go from 135 to 120, and I'm 2" shorter than you! Also, that'll only be step 1 for me. I distinctly remember being unhappy with my body at 118lbs, so I need to pack on some muscle. I have a feeling that when I quit organized sports (read: went to college), I slowly lost muscle mass over the years and gained fat - so the scale only began creeping up once all that muscle was mostly gone. Does that make sense? lol.

[Brovatar Korra]

Welcome! When/where are your doing the Tough Mudder? I'm doing my first one outside Austin on May 3rd and super excited about it!

[Istrix]

I'm doing the Mudder in VA in june, you?  I could always use training partners / competition.

[JulesPaxton]

I am aiming to do my second one in September in Wisconsin!

 

My biggest struggle is running since I face IT band problems. Heading over to a different forum to see what the advice is there...

[Brovatar Korra]

Mine is in Austin one week from today! I am very torn about how much what kinds of exercises I should do going into the week before

[Ahoythar]

Can we be lifting partners? lol. Your stats are pretty close to mine. Bench Pressing 90lbs is definitely my goal as well. Gotta keep up with the boys I bench with.

Good luck! I'm sure you can reach your goals with a little extra effort. I find taking a little time off (like 5 days) helps me rest my muscles and I can up my weight.